ptownhaus

2010-01-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

2009-12-31T06:52:00.001-08:00

2009-12-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

Autumn

2009-10-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

Bedroom Update

2009-07-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

We finally moved back into our bedroom a few weekends ago. Tonight my sweet husband is installing new curtain rods from ikea. It still needs some artwork and finishing touches, but it's nice to have some space back.

The state of things

2009-05-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

Recently our life has been filled with lath & plaster dust, stripping linoleum from the fir floor, stripping paint and texture from moulding, and other mundane and ugly tasks. In other words, not great fodder for blog posts. The images, from top left:
The new framing and roughed-in electrical for the new window and sconce lights in the bedroom.
Last weekend we painted the back wall of the house.
The linoleum rug is now completely removed via a heat gun and putty knife and many, many hours of stinky, brain-numbing (probably brain-damaging) work.
Some of the pretty original (1910) wallpaper that's going to be covered up via a layer of 1/4" drywall this weekend.

blue bedroom

2009-05-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

We have officially started construction on our bedroom. The walls are pulled out and a new window has been installed as of yesterday. We're a long way from painting, but I've been inspired by cocoon-like blue bedrooms. I love smokey blue walls with gold, white and black accents. The very center room of the collage has the perfect blue. Would you call that cornflower?

Spring.

2009-04-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

The flowers in our yard are going crazy (no lilies yet), but I don't have a camera to capture them with. There's the 18 different types of daffodils, and a variety of tulips and hyacinths. Spring is wonderful even when it's dumping down rain and completely gray - at least there's something beautiful to brighten up the yard.
We installed our raised bed a few weekends ago, but haven't planted anything yet. We're talking about carrots, radishes and lettuce. To me there's something so special about making a salad from ingredients grown in the back yard.

The Doors.

2009-04-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have trouble watching suspenseful movies. I remember being 5 or 6 and my parents renting "Little Shop of Horrors" and being traumatized by it, and since then I have found little enjoyment in anything that's suspenseful, violent, or scary. I'm a wimp. So, when we watch anything that's even slightly frightening, I either leave the room or draw. Drawing somehow distracts me. These were drawn while watching movies this weekend.

Chez nous

2009-03-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

Dog.

2009-03-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

I've been saying that I'm going to do a portrait of the dog, but keep putting it on hold. I've been working on sketches for the last few weeks. He's generally a ridiculously happy dog, so these make him look a little over-serious.

les fleurs de printemps

2009-03-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

The watercoloring continues. I'm not sure what's inspired it, but I'm enjoying playing with paints and spring flowers. We have 5 or six types of daffodils flowering in our garden right now. The pink ones (below) are really fluttery and delicate.

le petit maison jaune

2009-03-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

I'm on a watercoloring kick as of late.

2009-03-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

Playing with more paint. I like the roof on this one.

Why don't you have a piece of fruit?

2009-03-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

Tropical fruit watercolor I painted while in Kauai. If I could retire tomorrow (at age 28, which is unlikely), I think I would spend a little time every day painting.

drawing

2009-03-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

I've been avoiding the internet for the past few weeks. I started to feel like it was taking up most of my free time, and I wasn't getting anything done, and I definitely wasn't being creative. This is the result of being isolated from the internet: painting & drawing. Good stuff. Hopefully there'll be more to come.

sewing

2009-03-02T10:53:00.001-08:00

Image via {frolic}
Spent the weekend sewing a new dress (not the one above). I'll try to post pictures soon. I've become inspired to sew all kinds of dresses and skirts and other things. I love the dress above - it's perfectly summery and light.

A few weeks ago I spent some time at the Mill End Store, where they have delightful fabrics despite the weird building and location. It's a Portland classic.

Into the wild

2009-02-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

Source unknown.

Ole! to you.

2009-02-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

This is worth the time to watch. It made me a little teary-eyed because it spoke to me on so many levels this morning at 10 AM. Enjoy. (via bacon is my enemy)

money.

2009-02-24T20:22:00.000-08:00

This is one way to make money during an economic downturn.

Turquoise

2009-02-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

Turquoise is both feminine and peppy. Somehow it reminds me of 1986, but it has a clean fresh ladylike feeling.

renovation de la boudoir.

2009-02-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

Image via desire to inspire.

We're planning on a huge re-vamp of our bedroom this spring. This includes tearing out the lath and plaster on two walls and replacing with drywall, re-texturing, re-wiring, refinishing the fir floors (tearing out wall to wall carpeting), replacing a window and painting. I hope to collect some bedroom inspiration photos over the next few weeks to help make the the finer design decisions.

We have a ceiling fan similar to the one above now - somehow it's OK in this room, but I HATE ours. Unfortunately it's got to stay, and I'll have to somehow work it in to the room design.

Anticipation.

2009-02-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

We have some huge house fixing planned for this spring. I just can't wait for the season to change (and to get our tax return). Tonight on my walk I could smell flowers starting to bloom, although I couldn't see them. Spring is getting closer by the moment. I just can't wait!

Oh my valentine.

2009-02-15T07:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a lovely day. Full of pink, hearts, smiles, and smooches. Hope yours was delicious and sexy too.

I've been uninspired of late and trying to avoid spending too much time on the internets (thus the sparse posts). Eventually I'll fall back into my old patterns and have something more to say.

home again, home again, jiggity jig

2009-02-11T09:02:00.000-08:00

Kauai was beautiful, relaxing, wonderful. I really couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable trip, even though it was short. It's coming back home that 's the trouble.
I'm trying to enjoy the wintertime, but that's proving difficult when it seems full of rain, snow, clouds, cold, grey, and sickness.
This weekend I noticed that there are hyacinth, daffodil and tulips poking through the ground. Finally. Spring is just around the corner. It's just a matter of making it through the rest of February.

Intermission

2009-01-29T21:39:00.000-08:00

Aren't protea incredible?
Tomorrow I leave for Kauai for some time with my family. I'm excited to get away from the wintery weather again. A little intermission from the frigid temperatures.

Belle Jour

2009-01-28T20:52:00.000-08:00

I'm not really into video usually, but this one made me smile, and reminded me that spring is not too far away - tulips and sunny mornings and bike rides.

Today was filled with so many good things:

reconnecting with old friends
watching clouds change throughout the day
an evening run without rain
angel hair pasta with asiago cheese (and a stick of butter)
listening to the sound of the dog licking his paws

back porch

2009-01-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

This is the area between the kitchen and the back door. The blue shelves were here when we moved in. It's become a catch-all spot for our raggedy house plants.

notre chambre.

2009-01-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

Besides painting when we moved in, we haven't done anything to the bedroom. The ceiling is still pale blue, as is most of the trim, and there's still dirty, gray, musty wall-to-wall carpet. There are unfinished fir floors underneath the carpet - it's our goal to have them refinished this summer. I think having refinished floors will make a HUGE difference in this room. There's only one window in the bedroom (which makes it nice and dark), and it (like most windows in the house) is in desperate need of refinishing/ replacement. I have big dreams for this room - hopefully we can chip away at it in 2009.

Sunday afternoon.

2009-01-25T16:01:00.000-08:00

I've been sick for the past week with a lovely "virus" which manifested itself in a constant migraine. I'm looking forward to the end of it. I bought some sweetpeas hoping they'd lift my spirits. They do. Happy Sunday.

papier peint

2009-01-21T20:06:00.000-08:00

It's unlikely that we'll ever wallpaper our house, due to my general indecision and my husband's dislike for it, however, I think it can be incredibly beautiful. Wallpaper would make a nice surprise in a closet, or small entryway. I love the designs at Trustworth Studios. Their designs are mainly reproductions of designs from the English Arts and Crafts movement, and they are all a little whimsical.

Inauguration

2009-01-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

What a proud day.

Pie

2009-01-18T19:42:00.000-08:00

I had a sweet tooth last night and decided to make an apple pie with some apples I've had in the crisper since September (surprisingly still crisp!). Apple pie is close to my least favorite pie (I love pumpkin pie, any berry pie, and rhubarb strawberry). I tend to make desserts that I'm not crazy about in a half-hearted attempt to limit myself, unfortunately it usually doesn't work. With that said, this pie is crazy-delicious. The contrast between the sweetness in the crumble topping, the tart bite of the apple filling, and the salty-crispness of the crust is just lovely. I even had it for breakfast this morning. I'm a purist as far as serving - I want pie uninterrupted by ice or whip cream, but this would be nicely complimented by either (if you're into that sort of thing).

Cinnamon Crumble Apple Pie
Originally from Bon Appetit (October 2003)

Crust
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Filling
3 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Topping
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Preparation

For crust:
Mix flour, salt, and sugar in large bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until coarse meal forms. Mix 3 tablespoons ice water and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Drizzle over flour mixture; stir with fork until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch; turn edge under and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate while preparing filling and topping.

For filling:
Mix all ingredients in large bowl to coat apples.

For topping:
Blend first 5 ingredients in processor. Add chilled butter cubes; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles wet sand.

Toss filling to redistribute juices; transfer to crust, mounding in center. Pack topping over and around apples. Bake pie on baking sheet until topping is golden, about 40 minutes (cover top with foil if browning too quickly). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until apples in center are tender when pierced and filling is bubbling thickly at edges, about 45 minutes longer. Cool until warm, about 1 hour. Serve with ice cream or whip cream, or just eat plain.

I love Puddle-town

2009-01-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

I love my home. Today's a crisp, sunny, January day that reminds me why this town is so wonderful.
Portland Streetcar Warning Sign, Portland Map Tote, Green Heart in Oregon, For the Love of Portland Tote (via Frolic).

mimosa

2009-01-15T13:56:00.000-08:00

According to Pantone, mimosa is the color of 2009. It's cheerful and vibrant when it's gloomy outside, and it's a great spring color (think Peeps, daffodils, tulips). Yellow has always been one of my favorite colors (see our house), but I've never been able to wear it well. Maybe with a cute little pair of yellow galoshes or a yellow umbrella would help with the winter blahs.

Umbrella, necklace, marigold seeds, bikini, tote, and galoshes.

Citron

2009-01-12T21:21:00.000-08:00

dishes, dishtowel, and citrus juicer.

I'm convinced that citrus ripen in winter to keep us cheerful and sunny in the gloomy months. Lemon and orange are keeping me happy. It's a perfect time for toast with marmalade, lemon bars, and clementines as snacks.

grandma

2009-01-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

I recently cleaned out some photos from an old hard-drive and found some scanned photos of my grandma. I love their little bob haircuts with little caps and mary-jane shoes.

Sunday.

2009-01-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

Lazy Sunday afternoon. Wishing I was spending it watching The Graduate.

Printemps?

2009-01-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

I know it's early, but I'm really looking forward to spring. The view out my office window is very gray and brown, I think I'd like it better if it were pink and blue. Just two more months of winter, right?

L'Arte

2009-01-04T20:21:00.000-08:00

All images by Christopher Bibby.

My parents spoiled me this Christmas with a little piece of art by Christopher Bibby. I love it.

Inspiration Coiffure

2009-01-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

Les Cheveux Nouveaux

2009-01-02T08:16:00.000-08:00

I'm considering cutting my hair. It's been really long for the last 4 years, and I'm ready for a change. I had some fun with some online makeover tools last night. My husband is voting for anything in the bottom row. I'm looking for low-maintenance. Thoughts, anyone?

Resolutions.

2009-01-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

I don't remember where I found this yellow door, but I love it.

I've been thinking about resolutions today, and what I want to accomplish in 2009. Honestly, I usually forget about my goals within a few months of making them, but I fully believe in the power of writing down your intentions. I've kept a journal off and on since I was 14, and it's surprising to realize how many past goals and dreams actually became realities.

Run 1,000 miles.
Paint all the remaining blue moulding and doors white.
Finish office in basement.
Install raised beds in the backyard & grow veggies.
Start a weight lifting routine.
Hone my kitchen skills.

Bonne Annee.

2009-01-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

Marco Island, Florida sunsets.

Although the travel to and from was horrid, Florida was deliciously lazy. It was 82 degrees and sunny daily, and I spent most our time there laying in a hammock reading. It's a refreshing way to end the year.

More snow.

2008-12-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

We're supposed to be on a plane to Florida as we speak, yet we are not. The Portland airport is closed, and we received a call at 4:15 this morning telling us that our flight was cancelled. I'm trying not to feel depressed that we can't leave until Wednesday, but being snowbound is getting old.

Florida

2008-12-20T08:25:00.000-08:00

Marco Island at sunset, old GQ cover, Jena Ardell, Jonathan Quinn

It looks like we may get another few inches of snow today. I'm very much looking forward to some warmer weather for Christmas.

Le Mode

2008-12-19T21:09:00.000-08:00

I am in love with polyvore.com. I liken it to playing with Barbies for adults. My husband can't figure out why I would want to do this, but I love coming up with ridiculous outfits based on fantasy trips. I think I spent two hours making outfits last night.

Clockwise from top left:

Parisian cafe date

Airplane travel outfit

Art museum date

Miami shopping

Carry On

2008-12-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

My visual packing list.

We leave on Sunday for our great Floridian Christmas adventure. I'm looking forward to getting away from the snow, rain, and freezing temperatures here and spending some time in 78 degree weather. However, I hate flying. I'm sure it's mostly psychological, but I get sick on almost every flight. This time, based on recommendations, I've invested $3 in Sea-Bands. I think they might just be voodoo, but after years of suffering, I'm willing to try anything. My fingers are crossed.

This is my essential carry-on packing list: good reading material, lots of water to drink (I bring an empty bottle and fill it after security), music, moisturizers, and a toothbrush (nothing like giving hugs when you get off a plane 7 hours later and smell like eww). I also pack my own snacks and meals because airplane food is usually unpleasant.

Biscotti Extravaganza

2008-12-17T08:39:00.000-08:00

Biscotti are cookies baked multiple times. From wikipedia:

Biscotti originates from medieval Latin word biscoctus, meaning "twice-baked": it defines biscuits baked twice in the oven, so they could be stored for long periods of time, which was particularly useful during journeys and wars. Through Middle French, the word was imported into the English language as "biscuit".

I like to make mine slightly less sweet than a cookie (I've decreased the sugar from the original recipe by about a third) with slightly savory flavors (thus, anise), but these are a sweet treat best served with tea or coffee. The original recipe calls for white chocolate, but I find white chocolate kind of weird - it's not even really chocolate. Dark chocolate and cranberries are a decadent, sweet-tart combination.

Dark Chocolate Dried Cranberry Biscotti
Modified from Bon Appetit recipe

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)
8 oz dark chocolate (again, I used Callebaut)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract extract until well blended. Mix in flour mixture, then dried cranberries. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each piece into 2 1/2-inch-wide, 9 1/2-inch-long, 1-inch-high log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.

Bake logs until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on sheet on rack. Maintain oven temperature. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same sheet. Bake 10 minutes; turn biscotti over. Bake until just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Transfer biscotti to rack.

Stir chocolate in top of double boiler until smooth. (I don't own a double boiler, so I just melt the chocolate in a small heavy ceramic bowl on the element of my stove, which works just fine). Using fork, drizzle chocolate over biscotti. When drizzling, it's best to move the fork in wide strokes over multiple biscotti at once, as it looks better than dripping it directly over individual biscotti. Let stand until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Biscotti

2008-12-16T21:05:00.000-08:00

These have a subtle licorice flavor. Serve with a glass of port, or a cup of coffee. Yum.

This is what I spent my snow-day doing.

Anise Almond Biscotti

(recipe originally from Bon Appetit)

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/3 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 stick (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon anise-seed

1 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Mix sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract and anise-seed in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Mix in almonds.

Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into 13 inch by 2 1/2 inch wide log. Transfer both logs onto prepared baking sheet, spacing a few inches apart.

Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 30 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet. Maintain oven temperature.

Using a serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2 to 1 inch wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over, bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack, and allow to cool completely.

I like candy.

2008-12-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

With the snowy, frigid weather, I was inspired to make some treats. These are a wonderful combination of sweet and tart, and somehow Christmas-ey (and in my opinion, much tastier than these). I suggest using organic oranges because conventionally grown oranges are sprayed with pesticides, although the organic oranges at our grocery store looked like they'd been rolled all the way here from Florida. I also suggest using a high quality chocolate (I used Callebaut) because your finished product is only as good as the ingredients you start with. This makes quite a few candies, four oranges resulted in about 4 cups of candy.

Candied Orange Peel

(Recipe originally from Use Real Butter)

Peels of 4 Oranges

3 Cups sugar

1 Cup water

1 Cup sugar for rolling peels

8 oz+ chocolate

Slice off navel and stem ends of oranges, then cut into quarters. Peel the orange, being careful not to tear the quarters. (I kept the orange wedges for a snack, but it'd be a great addition to a fruit salad, if you're so inclined.) Some recipes suggest scraping out some of the white pith with a spoon, but I don't think it's necessary.

Cut the peels into 1/4 inch slices. Place the peels into a large pot and cover with cold water. Heat the water on high, and once it boils pour off water. Repeat boiling process twice more - this helps remove some of the bitterness from the peel.

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat until the temperature reaches 230F (a candy thermometer would be a great help here). The sugar will be boiling rapidly and have a slightly golden tinge. Add orange peel and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until peels are translucent, about 30 minutes. Remove peels from syrup with a fork or tongs, and set on a rack to dry for several hours.*

Once the peel is dry, roll each in sugar; this will remove any residual stickiness. They're delicious as is, or you can enrobe them in chocolate. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Dip each peel in dark chocolate, and place on a sheet of parchment or wax paper to dry (roughly 15-30 minutes). Enjoy.

*I tried eating one of the orange sticks just after it had been boiled and was cool enough to eat. The flavor was still VERY intense. After they dried overnight, the flavor was mellower, so don't despair if they start out too strong.

Il neige.

2008-12-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

The weather outside is frightful, but let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Sparkling Snowflakes

2008-12-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

It's snowing this morning!

paper snowflakes, card, bottle & necklace. Card & necklace via ohjoy!.

Est-ce qu'il neige?

2008-12-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

It may snow in Portland this weekend! It's time for a big wool blanket, cozy slippers, and a cup of tea. Lovely scarf, gloves & ornament available here.

Cuisant

2008-12-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

I love to cook.

The Joy of Cooking is a great cookbook for basic recipes. When I need to know how long to cook squash, how to make basic pancakes, or just to determine what a souffle involves, this is where I look. We have a mini-paper back copy that's throuroughly stained and dog-eared from tons of use.

Gourmet is great inspiration for flashy dishes, and just how to embellish a basic dish. I love that epicurious.com offers a searchable database of Gourmet's recipes with reviews. I generally like to know whether something is good before I spend time making it, and the reviews often offer great additions and tweaks that make dishes even better.

Cooking by Hand is my most recent cookbook obsession. This book makes you want to brine your own olives (insane), and create your own balsamic vinegar which you store in your attic for 20 years. The closest I've come to either of these is making my own yogurt. There is a huge section on meats, butchering, etc, which I just pretend isn't there (because we're vegetarian and the idea of making sausage kills my appetite). But, it's a great read, and makes me even more determined to put in a huge vegetable garden next spring.

Back Steps

2008-12-10T09:16:00.000-08:00

Our most recent project was re-tiling the back steps going down to the back door from the kitchen. The new tiles match the kitchen tile. It looks a lot fresher, and I don't see every single dog hair and footprint anymore. Hooray.

Stockings

2008-12-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

When I'm in a sour mood, I challenge myself to think of 5 (or more) good things that have happened during the day. Sometimes the best things I can think of are pretty simple, like "I still have air to breathe".
Since I mentioned that in general I don't like Christmas or winter, I've been thinking of all the things that I do like about the season. I like Christmas stockings. My mom embroidered stockings for my brothers and I when we were kids. One of my favorite parts of Christmas morning was waking up at 4 AM, dumping out our stockings, which were mostly filled with mandarin oranges and chocolate coins, and binging on citrus & chocolate before my parents got out of bed.
I don't have a Christmas stocking now (nor do I have a mantel to hang one on), but I like the idea of a stocking made of non-traditional fabrics. Charming, no?

Salle de bain

2008-12-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

Our bathroom is puny and ugly. The photo on the left is when we first moved in. The blue paint was probably the dirtiest paint I've ever seen. Gross. We re-painted a warm gold/ yellow color, and I painted the vanity a creamy white, and replaced the heinous plastic handles with silver. It made a HUGE difference.

My husband calls it the Manhattan style bathroom because the two of us can barely squeeze in at once. It is small, but really, I think it's just a matter of the space being used inefficiently. If we had a pedestal sink, you could probably get out of the shower from either side of the shower doors.

Anyhow, remodeling the bathroom is one of our top priorities (once we win the lottery), especially since you must go through our bedroom in order to use the bathroom (it's the only one).

These images are inspiration for an eventual remodel. Pedestal sinks, colored glass tile, marble. . . lovely.

Holiday Madness

2008-12-08T08:54:00.000-08:00

Amsterdam advent calendar on right available from NouveauDesigns here.

Christmas is easily my least favorite holiday. There are so many things I dislike about winter and the holidays, so this year I'm trying to remind myself of all the great things about it. When I was a kid my parents had a little cardboard advent calendar with doors and windows which you opened to reveal pictures of Christmas-ness (candles, trees, ornaments, teddy-bears). I loved the surprise of discovering what was behind each door, and the idea that each day you were one day closer to THE DAY, which at the time meant presents, and tons of chocolate.

Red & Gold Christmas

2008-12-07T16:10:00.000-08:00

Warm Christmas inspiration.

Dining Room

2008-12-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

This is the dining room when we moved in. Note the gorgeous ceiling fan. I'm pretty sure that it came down the second day we lived here.

I love these windows, although they are in really bad shape, and the view of our neighbor's house is nothing special. Our current dining room set-up obscures them, because it's the only window where our houseplants can get enough light and warmth during the winter. Someday, I'd love to install a little window seat under the windows and make the dining room into a library/ dining room.

The dining room today. I have grand ideas of what it could be, and this isn't it (yet).

\

My little reading nook.

The light in the dining room that replaced the horrendous ceiling fan.

Pain Perdue

2008-12-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

Recently, French toast, or pain perdue (lost bread) as we like to call it, has been our favorite meal. I've made it three times in the last month, and in general, there are few things that we eat this frequently. Usually the meal starts as a use for old stale bread. I often buy ciabatta from our local bakery and don't get around to using it, thus, pain perdue! The most recent time I made it, I didn't have stale bread (which makes it tastier, I think), so I used fresh whole wheat bread.

It was still pretty lovely slathered in dark maple syrup, even though it looks kind of terrible.

Pain Perdue
modified recipe from the Joy of Cooking
Serves two (roughly three slices each)

3 large eggs (I can be pretty snobby about eggs, and only buy organic, free range, foofie eggs)
1 cup milk (I often use a combination of whipping cream and soymilk, because these are other items that are often leftover in the fridge)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 or more slices slightly stale bread - I use as many as will soak up all the liquid
1 tablespoon butter

In a large bowl beat eggs until mixed. Stir in milk and vanilla. Add two slices of bread and let soak for a few minutes. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet. Add soaked slices of bread to skillet. Let cook on each side until brown. Flip, and brown second side. Repeat with each slice of soaked bread. I usually put the oven on low, and put a plate in the oven to store the slices until they're all done.

Serve with cinnamon, powdered sugar, butter, or just plain grade b maple syrup.

Living Room Before & After

2008-12-03T18:52:00.001-08:00

This is the living room before we moved in. My husband really wanted to keep the lime/ neon green wall. I was less than thrilled with the color. I couldn't really work lime green into my vision for the room. So, instead I picked a color from our local paint shop called "grilled cheese" (I kid you not). Somehow this seemed fitting for our house, and I like the color better than lime.

Warm and cozy, right?

The inspiration for the dining room/ living room color was this image from Domino magazine. It's so cheerful and bright, I thought that when the weather outside was grey and miserably rainy, we could enjoy some virtual sunshine inside. We'll see how that works out this winter.

Image from here.

Finally, I like the use of a little bit of the same color used as an accent color surrounded by white. It still looks happy and warm even in small doses. I think the color works best with a restrained palette everywhere else, but I'm not sure a house with two dark-haired pets would do very well with too much white.

Kitchen Before & After

2008-12-02T20:07:00.001-08:00

The kitchen was one of my least favorite rooms when we moved in to the house. It took a while, but we did a little makeover with paint, and installed some ikea shelves & workbench to make a breakfast nook. Eventually I hope to remodel the kitchen, but in the meantime, I enjoy it in all it's orange glory.

this is my favorite corner of the kitchen.

Chez Moi.

2008-12-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

Notre maison. Prior to moving in. May 2008.

potting shed & garage.